Andrea Brookhart

“This may be one of the oddest things I’ve ever seen; in rural Missouri, a tree in a field with no field. A tree standing alone, growing out of a high column of dirt in the middle of acres and acres of loose dirt. The column, which seems jacketed by packed soil, may be a well or cistern. There is a pipe jutting out of the ground close to the trunk of the tree. Early one morning, I drove out of town with our border collie to get a closer look and take some pictures. We crossed the highway and walked through the dust to stand under the tree for a sense of scale. I got a few close-ups through the branches, but the best shot was the long view that allowed a scan which included the whole field. Since no one was around at the time for me to ask about this curious thing, it’s hard to say what happened here. But after a little research, it appears to be the too common practice of clearing topsoil for sale.”

Andrea Brookhart is best known for the quiet feeling of her photographs. With the goal of sustaining some combination of deliberation and spontaneity, taking pictures becomes an active meditation for finding balance. Sometimes the subject is the play of light; sometimes it's the dynamic tension between shapes or ideas, but Andrea is always attempting to capture her curiosity about the scene in front of her to share with the viewer.